Rumor has it that the upcoming 10.6.2 build of Mac OS X has removed support for the Intel Atom CPU, which is the processor under the hood of many netbooks on the market today, including my beloved Dell Mini 9. This isn’t an issue for most Mac users, but if you’re like me and you’ve Hackintoshed your way to super-portable bliss, you might be a little worried.  See, Apple…this is why I wish you had your own official netbook!

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While I’m stuck at home looking after my three wonderful daughters (my wife is out of town on a business trip) Dan and Wayne are in NYC at the live taping of the Engadget Show.  I’m not bitter though.

Dan reports….

So here Wayne and I are waiting for the engadget show to start. Big piece will be the Windows 7 release. Steve Balmer will be here. There is a computer on stage to manage sound. There is one on the table between where he and Josh Topolsky will sit. BOTH notebooks are…. Macs!!!!!

I wonder what Steve will have to say about that? 

More to follow.

I have used database programs for quite a while to keep track of things like my music collection and favorite wines.  Sure, I could do that with a spreadsheet, but having the data organized in a database makes it easy to sort and view records. I’m relatively new to Bento, just picking it up with version 2, but found it very easy to learn and use. This week, FileMaker released Bento 3, a major update to their user-friendly database software for the Mac.

Bento 3 offers a number of new and improved features, which are largely directed toward incorporating graphics better and adding security options, including:

• iPhoto integration

• Grid View – view any library in the new Grid view to show a grid of images or thumbnail views of your forms

• Related data field – now with image thumbnails

• File List – now with image thumbnails

• Table view with media cell

• Simple list field type – add a freeform table to your forms for quick list tracking

• Library Folders – save space in your Libraries pane by grouping like libraries in a single folder

• Library Icons

• Image box – add a static image, such as a team logo, to any of your forms

• New security options

• Multi-user sharing – share your Bento libraries with up to 5 other Bento users on your local area network

• Group emailing – send one email to multiple recipients through Apple Mail with a few clicks

• Improved Theme Chooser

• New option to print blank forms

• Print a blank version of any form, great for surveys and sign up lists

• New option to copy forms within a library and between collections

• 10 new pre-designed templates

In addition, FileMaker released an update to their iPhone app this week to improve compatibility with the Bento 3 desktop software.

Bento 3 is available for $49.00 from FileMaker’s website.  For existing Bento users, FileMaker is offering an instant upgrade rebate of $20 (offer expires January 28, 2010).

Do you have a few web sites that you visit more than most?  If you’re like me you keep several browser tabs opened to the sites you visit often throughout the day. If you’re on a Mac check out this utility I recently came across which helps with this problem.

Fluid creates SSB (site specific browsers) to help you manage these sites more efficiently.  Fluid gives any web application it’s own icon, standard menu bar, place on the desktop and much more.

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Sometimes it is hard to believe how quickly technology marches on … and other times it seems amazing to look upon the relics of technology past, and think that folks used those as cutting-edge devices at one point. As someone who used a Macintosh Portable from when it came out until past the time it was really a feasible computer, seeing it get torn to bits doesn’t sound too bad to me! Technologizer takes us step-by-step through the entire system, using a handy iPod Touch to serve as a size comparison throughout.

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There were a few utilities available pre-Snow Leopard which allowed you to set up the Mac’s built in Mail client in three columns.  Unfortunately all of them stopped working with the release of OS upgrade.

Letterbox is a small utility from Aarom Harnly.  It works with the built in Mac Mail client and allows you to view your mail application in three columns.  Aaron released a new beta last week that works with Snow Leopard.

In my opinion this little add-on makes the mail application look like it should be by default.  I’ve been using it for a little while and it’s been performing exactly as I’d expect, making my mail reading experience just a little easier.

Check out the app. here.

Now if someone would just fix Sticky Windows so it would work with Snow Leopard I’d be all set.

I love my wireless BT keyboard for my iMac.  There’s two things though, that I find fault with.

One, the wired version is full sized.  It has the extra numerical keypad on the right side where as the smaller wireless version does not.

Two, the wired version has two USB ports, where as the wireless has none.

Macally solves one of the two issues with the release of its new BTkey Wireless Keyboard for Mac.

The BT keyboard is full sized.  It uses two AA batteries which last up to 2 months.

While the BTkey is arctic white and matches the iMac well, it is missing that dazzling aluminum look that the Apple keyboards posses.

Still if you want a wireless, full sized keyboard to go with your Mac, this one fits the bill.

The BTkey sells for $69.99.

Check it out on the Macally web site.

I personally use only one language on my Mac computers, English.  Unless you’re multi-lingual or unless you’re like Judie and plan on taking up another language, chances are you only need one language on your computer as well.

The Mac comes preinstalled with several language packs.  These packs includes fonts, and other things which all take up hard drive space.

That’s where Monolingual comes in.  Monolingual is a free application (donations are accepted) which allows you to selectively remove any language pack from your Mac that you choose.

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Buy.com has the one of the last of the G4 iBooks [refurb'd] on sale for $399. So if you’ve been dying for an Apple netbook but don’t want to hackintosh, and you don’t mind being stuck on a G4 with Leopard, this the deal you’ve been waiting for…happy shopping!

Buy.com 12.1 iBook, 1.33ghz processors, 1gb RAM, 40gb HDD

It is always nice when you see an application you have used in Beta reaches a Version 1 release. Such is the case with Postbox.

The cross-platform works with Windows and OSx and promises…

Faster, Smarter, and More Organized, Postbox is a Better Way to Manage Email.

It offers some great features including: powerful, flexible search, various content views so your email has the look and ease you prefer, better, more flexible organization, ToDo Tagging and more.

Based on Mozilla’s technology Postbox is indeed impressive. One is, however, left to wonder if these features justify spending $39.95 for a single seat or a tad less than a whopping $60 for a family pack when Mac Mail and Gmail are free.

You can learn more HERE.

(Cowritten with Dan)

America may run on Dunkin, but sometimes it seems like the internet runs on something else; caffeinated, sugary and at times, rude and disrespectful. Fanboys (and girls).

You know who we’re talking about. They are the first to yell “TROLL” if you dare denigrate their favorite subject. They are the first to jump to the defense of the oft undefendable actions of their heroes in a manner not dissimilar to the way in which one would hopefully defend the honor of their their significant other. And they are always the first to post on an internet forum when anything, good or bad, is written.

At the same time, they are also the first to try a new product, discuss ad naseum every aspect of a software update, and blindly take the role of cheerleader regardless of the reality of the situation. Yes, they are the next generation of those who continue to argue endlessly about whether “Star Trek: The Next Generation” or “Star Trek: The Original Series” was the better show, despite both being off the air for years. And sadly, they are the ones who will increasingly attack anyone who dares disagree with them.

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I’ve been greatly enjoying the HP dv6 that I recently upgraded to Windows 7, and that got me wondering about Snow Leopard (OSX 10.6). Dan was evil kind enough to send me a link to the latest Apple refurb sales last week, and I couldn’t help myself…after perusing the wares, I bit.

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What is the world coming to!  Not even precious Apple stores are safe from crime.  :)

I caught this story on my local news last night and now it seems its getting national attention.

A couple of thieves decided to break into an Apple store last night.

They smashed the familiar glass front of the Apple retail store in Evesham, NJ, and they made quick work of gathering up 14 iPhones, 24 Mac Book Pros and 9 iPod Touches.  Seems they grabbed all the demo units they could carry.

Wonder if we’ll see some cheap iPhones show up on Ebay very soon.

You can see the full story, including the video footage, here.

photo credit: Titanas

Over the past few years, I’ve been watching the disappearance of the independent blog. Like many “industries”, it’s being absorbed into larger organizations where it often becomes depersonalized and sometimes disappears altogether.

Beginning in August of 2007 this started to happen to one of the more popular support sites for Macintosh users – MacFixIt. This site, as well as iPhone Atlas, and VersionTracker, became part of CNET.  And now, Ted Landau – for many people the heart and soul of MacFixIt –  has ended his association with the site altogether.

Since August 2007, the general frequency of posting has declined.  Some people have commented that the quality of posting has declined as well.  I won’t argue that point, but I will say that the site has slowly been losing the ”personal” feel that it used to have.  Now, finally, CNET plans to move the “community” to the CNET forums.  Some people, myself included, wonder if this will ultimately result in the end of this site as an effective resource for Macintosh users.   Ted leaving the site feels like the final nail in the coffin.

These sites (VersionTracker, iPhone Atlas, and MacFixit) and certainly not the only sites to experience this merging process.  In recent times we’ve seen other site like jkontherun also blended into larger organizations.  One argument is that these mergers are necessary to keep the sites financially viable.

Just like the general demise of the mom-and-pop shops in favor of the big “box” stores, this has good and bad aspects.  I tend to think that the current track record (for content quality) seems to lean more toward “bad” than good.

Are you a MacFixIt user or the user of any previously independent site?    What do you think of these mergers?  Do they help keep these sites alive, or do they destroy the quality of the content?

I can’t image listening to music on my iMac or MacBook Pro without having iWOW’s plug-in for iTunes installed. It adds a degree of depth and customization to the sound pumped out by the computer to an amazingly noticeable degree. The plugins are available for Mac and Windows and offer a number of nice presets along with the ability to create a totally custom sounds depending on the music or movie,  the room you are in and your personal preferences.

Right now you can grab any of srs’ products for $10 off when you use the code SRS10051. But Hurry, the sale lasts just 3 day and the clock is already ticking.

For product details visit the SRS site.